


A Real One

by JulyStorms



Series: Before Colors Broke into Shades [18]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Presents, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-06
Updated: 2014-09-06
Packaged: 2018-02-16 07:27:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2261055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JulyStorms/pseuds/JulyStorms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi gives Hange a birthday present.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Real One

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: “Why are you hugging me?” Levihan. Requested anonymously on Tumblr.
> 
> Silly fluffy nonsense to celebrate Miss Zoë Hange’s birthday! Yay!

It was another busy day. A full one, too, that started at sunup. Hange let Nifa and Keiji go early. Doug left an hour later to go into town, and Moblit—well, she’d had to make him leave.

“But Squad Leader,” he’d protested, clutching onto the edge of his desk like his life depended on it. “I can’t just leave you here to do this all by yourself!”

She’d laughed at that, had said, pushing her goggles onto the top of her head to wipe the sweat behind them away, “Sure you can. All you have to do is get up and walk out.”

It took a little more convincing, but Moblit eventually caved, as he always did, and she was left alone. It was nice, sometimes, to be alone; she enjoyed the company of the others—naturally, or she would not have chosen them to serve on her personal squad—but there were days that she just wanted to do some work by herself.

She spent two glorious hours reading and marking notes before she heard the lab door open.

She didn’t say anything; she just assumed it was Moblit: back to check on her, to make sure she hadn’t forgotten that eating and drinking were necessary functions of the human body.

But then arms wrapped around her from behind and she nearly jumped out of her seat.

Moblit would _never_.

Maybe a pat on the head or a hand on her shoulder to see if she was still among the living; once he had draped a blanket over her shoulders when she _had_ fallen asleep face-down on her books.

But _this_. She let out a choked, confused, “What?” and craned her neck to see Levi letting her go. She licked her chapped lips and went to run a hand back through her hair only to find that her goggles, still perched on the top of her head, were in the way. “What was that for?”

“Birthday present,” he said, sounding bored. “And that’s all you’re getting from me.”

She blinked in confusion. “My birthday’s tomorrow,” she said.

“It’s today.”

“Is it really that late?” She glanced out of the small window on the far side of the room; it was dark. When her gaze came back to her work desk, she saw that her candle was low, sputtering a little on what remained of the wick.

Levi sighed. “They’re planning something, so you should shower.”

Hange grinned at him. “You mean they are planning a surprise and you’ve just ruined it for them.”

“Whatever,” he said. “There’s no sense in you smelling like shit. If for no other reason, at least do Mike a favor and shower before you show up and everybody starts singing and hugging.”

“You just hugged me,” she pointed out.

“And you smell like—“

“Success, right? Yes, I thought so.”

“Like you need a shower,” he corrected, lips pulling down at the corners.

“I guess it won’t hurt to be clean and nice for a birthday surprise,” she said. “But won’t everyone be suspicious if I show up clean?”

“No. They told me to make you shower.”

She rolled her eyes. “So what really happened was they asked you to convince me to shower and instead of covertly convincing me to do it you just told me why I should bother with it.”

Levi didn’t even blink. “Is it still a surprise if they do it every year and you expect it?”

“It’s a nice gesture,” she said. “Celebrating life and all that. Wait until _your_ birthday.”

“No.”

Hange placed a marker in her book and closed it, scooting her chair back before she got to her feet and stretched her aching shoulders. “All right,” she said. “I’ll go wash up.”

“Shower,” Levi said. “Wash your hair. Nobody wants to watch a man like Mike gag over dinner.”

“So it’s a dinner surprise this time,” she mused.

Levi didn’t say anything; he moved for the door and held it open. “I’m done here.”

“Wait,” she called, grabbing her jacket off of the back of her chair. She practically bounded for the door, making Levi look at her with what could only be called a distrustful expression.

“What?”

“I wasn’t prepared earlier. For the hug, I mean. I deserve another. A better one.”

Levi remained silent, still frowning.

“A _real_ one,” she said, putting her palms together, interlocking her fingers to mimic earnest prayer. “Please?”

“I already gave you a hug,” he said, and left the room.

She skipped up behind him after locking the door to the lab. “But I didn’t get to fully enjoy it. I thought you were Moblit—“

“Ugh,” he said.

“What’s wrong with Moblit?”

“Not a damn thing,” he said. “But I’m nothing like him.”

“Of course not. He’s always smiling.”

“Nervously, because he’s afraid you’ll throw yourself under the wagon wheels or into a titan’s mouth.”

“Levi, that’s not true.”

“Whatever.”

Hange waited another moment and then tried again. “ _Please_?”

Levi stopped abruptly in the corridor, and Hange nearly ran into him. “If I agree will you stop complaining.”

“Yes,” she said instantly, grin blossoming across her face.

He spun around and gave her a tight hug, but it was also the fastest and shortest hug she’d ever gotten. “There,” he said.

“That was horrible,” she complained.

“You said you were done complaining.”

“But that wasn’t a real hug! It was a rip-off. I want my money back.”

“You didn’t pay shit for it.”

“It wasn’t worth shit,” she said. “I demand a real hug.”

“No.”

“Come on, Levi!”

“No.”

“What if I shower first? _Then_ can I have a decent hug?”

Levi didn’t respond for a long moment, but finally his voice drifted back to her, sounding a little lighter. “Maybe.”

She grinned. “Okay, first thing tomorrow—“

“If you wake me up, you’ll miss your birthday surprise shit.”

“Right,” she said. “You’ll be unable to let me go. Everyone knows you’re a clingy loser when you sleep.”

“Stop making shit up.”

“I’m not. One time you took my jacket and wouldn’t give it back.”

“That’s your jacket, not you, shitty-glasses. If you wake me up from a dead sleep for a hug, you will be sorry.”

“Idle and empty threats,” she practically sang. “See you first thing in the morning, Levi!” And with that she dashed off—before he could continue arguing with her.


End file.
